Your chameleon is ectothermic. He requires outside influences to control how hot or cool he feels. In the wild, the sun would provide this heat and the chameleon would bask as the sun came up, darkening and laterally compressing their bodies to absorb more heat.
Once at an optimal temperature he would begin to hunt for food, he needs to be warm to be able to digest his food, or he may find a cooler place to shade if he feels to hot.
In your micro environment, your heat bulb will provide the heat which would come from the sun.
Like the sun, you should place your heat bulb at the highest point of the enclosure, you will notice that your chameleon will sit beneath the heat bulb, maybe for some time, in the mornings, when it first comes on.
Your Panther Chameleon will require a basking spot ( a perch under your heat bulb) of around (90f)
Once he is warm, he will be able to perform his daily functions.
As the chameleon cant control his own body temperature, you need to provide an ambient temperature (the majority of the enclosure, mid top to mid bottom) of around (71-77f)
This ambient temp will enable your chameleon to maintain a comfortable body temperature.
If your enclosure is an appropriate temp your chameleon will spend alot of time during the day moving around in this area. The lower end of the viv should meet the lower range for the ambient temp and the higher end should represent the higher range.
Although he needs outside influences to control his temperature, your chameleon does not need contact heat ie. Heat pads.
Your chameleon will need a temperature drop over night, to allow him to lower his body temperature as he sleeps. A night time temp of (60f) is sufficient to provide a good contrast between day and night temperatures.
Always make sure your chameleons branches are not too close to the heat bulb as your chameleon is susceptible to burning himself without realising.
Your light bulb, or basking bulb will provide infra red (heat) but you will need to provide your chameleon with a source of UVB radiation, your strip bulb should cover the majority of the vivarium, but should never pass through glass or plastic. Make sure your chameleon can not only gain full access to the source of UVB but can also shelter from it once he feels he has had enough.
A solid day/night cycle is essential to the happiness and wellbeing of your chameleon. Lights should be turned on and off at the same time each day to allow your cham to regulate his own circadian rhythm. A timer is a very simple way of achieving this.
Another very important part of your husbandry and maintaining your chameleons environment is making sure that the humidity stays between 50-80% with 50 being the lowest it should drop.
Your chameleon will react badly to a poorly managed micro environment.
You must own thermometers and hygrometers if you want to keep chameleons. I would suggest digital ones for more accurate and recordable readings. You would be amazed at how any “mystery illnesses” or “hunger strikes” can be attributed to wrong temperatures.
The Panther chameleon as a species requires a good amount of air exchange and will not do well in enclosures that do not provide this. Enclosures should have two or more sides which are screened.
They should however not be placed in a draft.
Once at an optimal temperature he would begin to hunt for food, he needs to be warm to be able to digest his food, or he may find a cooler place to shade if he feels to hot.
In your micro environment, your heat bulb will provide the heat which would come from the sun.
Like the sun, you should place your heat bulb at the highest point of the enclosure, you will notice that your chameleon will sit beneath the heat bulb, maybe for some time, in the mornings, when it first comes on.
Your Panther Chameleon will require a basking spot ( a perch under your heat bulb) of around (90f)
Once he is warm, he will be able to perform his daily functions.
As the chameleon cant control his own body temperature, you need to provide an ambient temperature (the majority of the enclosure, mid top to mid bottom) of around (71-77f)
This ambient temp will enable your chameleon to maintain a comfortable body temperature.
If your enclosure is an appropriate temp your chameleon will spend alot of time during the day moving around in this area. The lower end of the viv should meet the lower range for the ambient temp and the higher end should represent the higher range.
Although he needs outside influences to control his temperature, your chameleon does not need contact heat ie. Heat pads.
Your chameleon will need a temperature drop over night, to allow him to lower his body temperature as he sleeps. A night time temp of (60f) is sufficient to provide a good contrast between day and night temperatures.
Always make sure your chameleons branches are not too close to the heat bulb as your chameleon is susceptible to burning himself without realising.
Your light bulb, or basking bulb will provide infra red (heat) but you will need to provide your chameleon with a source of UVB radiation, your strip bulb should cover the majority of the vivarium, but should never pass through glass or plastic. Make sure your chameleon can not only gain full access to the source of UVB but can also shelter from it once he feels he has had enough.
A solid day/night cycle is essential to the happiness and wellbeing of your chameleon. Lights should be turned on and off at the same time each day to allow your cham to regulate his own circadian rhythm. A timer is a very simple way of achieving this.
Another very important part of your husbandry and maintaining your chameleons environment is making sure that the humidity stays between 50-80% with 50 being the lowest it should drop.
Your chameleon will react badly to a poorly managed micro environment.
You must own thermometers and hygrometers if you want to keep chameleons. I would suggest digital ones for more accurate and recordable readings. You would be amazed at how any “mystery illnesses” or “hunger strikes” can be attributed to wrong temperatures.
The Panther chameleon as a species requires a good amount of air exchange and will not do well in enclosures that do not provide this. Enclosures should have two or more sides which are screened.
They should however not be placed in a draft.
